Duke vs Virginia Prediction, ACC Championship Game Preview

Duke vs Virginia Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview Odds TV

Duke vs Virginia How To Watch

Date: Saturday, March 11
Game Time: 8:30 ET
Venue: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Duke (25-8), Virginia (25-6)

- Predictions For Every Game: Saturday

Why Duke Will Win

Ever since the overtime loss to Virginia in mid-February the Blue Devils have been close to flawless.

The offense has kicked it into overdrive - they're making just about everything so far in the ACC Tournament - partly because they're moving the ball around amazingly well with a whopping 43 assists in the two games.

Virginia is beatable on the glass, it'll have a few scoring lulls, and the threes aren't guaranteed if the Blue Devil offense starts going off. The Duke inside presence should make more of a difference in this meeting and ...

Why Virginia Will Win

Yeah, Duke was +16 in rebounding margin and hit 45% from the field and still lost. And why? Virginia made 52% of its shots in the 69-62 win.

Duke isn't going to generate any easy points off its defense. It doesn't take the ball away, and Virginia doesn't give it up. No, this isn't the offensively-challenged team of years past, but it'll slow the pace down to a dead stop when it has to, and Duke has to be ready to adjust.

The Blue Devils have loved getting on the move lately, and again, the offense is a good flow. No one can disrupt that better than Virginia.

But ... 

Duke vs Virginia What's Going To Happen

Virginia has to hit its shots.

It'll be about efficiency more than bulk scoring - if that makes any sense in a controlled tempo game.

Duke is unbeaten - 24-0 - when holding teams to under 45% from the field, and it's 1-8 when it doesn't. Again, Virginia made everything in the first meeting, but that's not necessarily normal. 

Duke's defense hasn't been anything great, but it'll keep the Cavaliers to under 45%, its own offense will be versatile enough to break through the tempo logjam, and the hot streak will continue. 

Duke vs Virginia Prediction, Line

Duke 68, Virginia 66
Line: Duke -3, o/u: 123.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Must See Ranking: 4.5

- Predictions For Every Game: Saturday